Case Study : Is smiling always theright thing?
Peteris the general manager of an American company in China. Recently, Chen Jun, oneof the Chinese managers made a mistake at work that caused difficulties thatrequired a considerable effort to fix. Chen Jun was very upset about what hadhappened and came to Peter’s office to make an apology. With a smile on hisface, he said, “Peter, I’ve been very upset about the trouble I’ve caused tothe company. I’m here to apologize for my mistake. I’m terribly sorry about itand I want you to know that it will never happen again.” He looked at Peterwith the smile he had been wearing since he walked into the office.
Peterfound it hard to accept the apology. Helooked at Chen Jun and asked, “Are you sure?” ChenJun gave a good yes while smiling. Still,Peter didn’t accept the apology and said angrily, “You don’t look sorry at all.If you’re really sorry, how could you still smile?” ChenJun’s face turned quite red, standing there dumbfounded.
Discussion:
1.Why did Chen Jun wear a smile when he made the apology?
2.Do you think it reasonable that Peter became so angry with Chen Jun? Why or whynot?
3.What are the different interpretations of a smile by the two people involved inthis situation?